Smile Politely

Doug Benson will take (make?) you higher

Notable stoner/standup comedian Doug Benson will be performing at 88 Broadway (no longer a piano bar and fondue restaurant, now a performance venue!) on Saturday night. If you’re a pop-culture junkie, or perhaps the other kind, you know Benson from Best Week Ever, Super High Me and “The Marijuana-logues,” among other things, like Last Comic Standing.

The show begins at 9 p.m., Graham Elwood is opening, and tickets are $15 a pop.

I know it’s basically happening concurrently with our anniversary party, but we’ll understand if you make the choice.

Benson still communicates mainly through MySpace emails, apparently, which was like talking to him in a time machine. See the fruits of that labor below.

Smile Politely: Who is this Doug Benson person?

Doug Benson: I’m just a guy who tells jokes and smokes pot. Not necessarily in that order.

Smile Politely: I miss watching you on Best Week Ever. When does it come back, and if you had Pop Culture Bachelor roses to give out in the time the show’s been on hiatus, who would get them?

Doug Benson: The show comes back in January, so you’ll find out who gets hiatus roses then. Not-a-spoiler alert!

Smile Politely: Who would win in a fight between Paul F. Tompkins and Nick Kroll, and why?

Doug Benson: Paul would win because the F. stands for “fury.”

Smile Politely: If you could be any variety of pot, which variety of pot would you be?

Doug Benson: My favorite strain is called Chocolope. Which sounds like an antelope made of chocolate. Which would be a fun thing to be.

Smile Politely: How did being named 2006 Stoner of the Year by High Times (right) change your life?

Doug Benson: I had to make sure I didn’t get involved in any sex scandals for a year or they’d take my tiara and sash away.

Smile Politely: Are you high right now?

Doug Benson: I don’t understand the question.

Smile Politely: What’s good about having a podcast (check out “I Love Movies” here)? Who’s your dream guest?

Doug Benson: It’s an opportunity to share my love of movies. My dream guests would be John Belushi, John Candy, Mitch Hedberg, Chris Farley and George Carlin. Because that would mean they are still alive.

Smile Politely: What can you say about Graham Elwood that hasn’t already been said?

Doug Benson: Once a year he attends a tofu festival. For reals.

Gillian Gabriel played a crucial role in assembling these questions.

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